


Louder Than Words

by kinneyb



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-03
Updated: 2015-06-21
Packaged: 2018-04-02 15:21:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4064851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinneyb/pseuds/kinneyb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The BAU gets a case involving three gruesome murders in Florida and their prime suspect is a young man named Spencer Reid who happens to be mute. Will the team be able to get the truth before it's too late or will Reid be framed for three murders he may or may not have committed? </p><p>(AU where Reid is mute and isn't part of the BAU)</p><p>The sequel 'Quieter Than Words' can be found under my other works!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Paper and Pen

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this a few nights ago and I immediately fell in love with the concept. I have a lot planned and I'm pretty happy with the way things are going so far. If you want to leave feedback or criticism, please go ahead! Also you can send me prompts for Criminal Minds on my blog (korrmin.tumblr.com) if you want me to write anything specific. :D

Morgan entered the conference room, plopping down at the table with a sheepish smile when everyone turned and looked at him with disapproving looks (Emily and JJ weren't truly disappointed, their looks just playful, but Hotch's surely was).

"You're late," he sighed, "again."

Morgan shrugged, fighting back a snarky comment, and glanced at the screen. He immediately noticed the three large pictures blown up. Garcia ran her fingers through her disheveled hair and restarted the briefing.

"Three men - Josh Smith, Manny Sanders, Jacob Green - have been found stabbed with their lips..." she paused, searching for the right word, "mangled." She made a face at the gross imagery before continuing. "The first murder was in Tampa, the second in Jacksonville, and the last in Miami."

Rossi idly clicked at his tablet. "That's quite a distance."

"Guess he thought he was some genius," JJ began, looking closely at the pictures now trasmitted onto her tablet. "If the crimes are far apart a lot of people might not make the connection."

Morgan swiped right over and over again, reading the documents that had been sent to him along with the other agents. "Wait a minute," he muttered, peering at Hotch, "this says they already have a suspect."

"They do," Hotch replied with ease, already standing up, "but they can't get a confession out of him..." The next part he said quietly. "And he's just a kid. Maybe there's a chance they just got the wrong guy." He cleared his throat. "We're leaving in 30."

Before he walked out, Emily stopped him with a question. "Why can't they get a confession? Is he stubborn or something?"

Hotch let out a snort, surprising the agents. "No, he's mute."

\---

"Okay, baby girl, let us know what you have on the victims so far," Morgan started, having called her after boarding the plane with the other agents. "Did they have any connections?" He looked at the file in his hand. "Or any connections with the suspect - Spencer Reid?"

Garcia could be heard tapping away at her keyboard as she spoke through the tablet. "Firstly, the men had nothing in common. On the outside, at least." She cracked a smile at that, and the team knew she'd found something. "But they did all go to the same cafe before work on Fridays and Mondays."

As much as it _was_ something new, it didn't really help much.

Until she continued, her smile widening a bit; proud and confident. "And guess who worked there on both Fridays and Mondays?"

Morgan returned her smile, crinkles appearing around his eyes. "Spencer?"

"You got it, stud," Garcia replied with a snap of her fingers, "and he was almost always the one who served them."

Emily nodded, carefully thinking over the new information. "It really isn't looking good for him, is it?"

JJ frowned, shaken by the possibility that a young man could do such horrible things. "It would explain the lips. He's mute, he can't talk. He might be taking it out on people who can." With a disappointed sigh - she'd really hoped he'd be innocent -, she stood up and placed her tablet on the table. "I'm gonna go grab some coffee."

"Grab me some?" Emily asked, and JJ nodded before heading off.

Morgan finally closed the folder he'd been looking through for the past ten minutes. He'd read it all, there was no point in just staring at the pages when no new information was going to show itself. "Garcia, what about the kid's personal life? Was it good, bad?"

"Uh." Garcia pursed her lips, her fingers skidding to a stop. "Both?" She offered. "He was as smart as they come. He got all As, the teachers all loved him. He was on his way to having a pretty good life, it seemed."

Hotch glanced up. "But?"

"He had problems with his parents," she continued, her lips forming a frown. "His mother was placed in a hospital after being diagnosed with schizophrenia and his father abandoned him when he was pretty young."

Morgan made a click with his tongue. "Kid had it rough. I wouldn't be surprised if he did finally snap and kill someone."

"That doesn't excuse what he did," JJ said upon reappearing, placing a cup of coffee in front of Emily. "He's still a murderer..." she muttered with apparent disappointed as she sat back down and crossed her legs, getting comfortable. For once she wished they could be wrong about someone. Just once.

"You know," Emily started slowly, "we don't know he's guilty yet."

Morgan raised an eyebrow, obviously surprised. "He knew the men, saw them twice a week, had a motive for killing them, and had a screwed childhood on top if it all." He leaned back in his chair with a huff. "Sounds guilty to me."

"That's not fair," Emily replied almost immediately. "We shouldn't make a judgement until we meet him."

Morgan lifted his hands, mocking surrender. "Okay, okay."

\---

They were approached by the head of the Miami police the second they entered the station. She was a young woman who might've been attractive normally if not for the tired and worried look on her face. "Thank you so coming so quickly," she said, shaking hands with Hotch. "We just don't know what to do with him."

She seemed embarrassed then cleared her throat. "I'm Harts, by the way. Julie Harts."

"Of course," Hotch replied, reciting the name of his agents before following with the question everyone was silently wondering. "By him, you mean Spencer Reid?"

Julie crossed her arms over her chest, sighing tiredly. "He's been here since last night and he still hasn't said a word."

"Well, he is mute," Morgan said with a shrug, a bit of sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Have you tried giving him a means of communicating that doesn't involve speaking?"

Julie seemed somewhat insulted. "What do you mean?"

Immediately Hotch spoke. "You're saying you haven't?" Even he had a hard time keeping his voice professional at the realization. They had a mute suspect on their hands and they hadn't thought to give him a way to communicate that didn't involve speech.

"No..." Julie replied slowly. "Why would I?"

Hotch ignored the question. "Can we speak - can we see him?"

The woman nodded and waved for them to follow. When they arrived outside the interrogation room, everyone glanced at the man through the window. Hotch stared at him for a minute or two before facing Julie. "We need paper and a pen."

Julie opened her mouth, curious, then snapped it shut. "One second."

Once he'd been given the items, he peered at Morgan. "Morgan, can you handle this?"

He blinked, surprised he was being singled out, but nodded and took the items from his boss.

"Good, JJ and Emily will go set up a room for us. Rossi and I will go talk to the family of the last victim." Hotch gestured for the two women to get started, and they scrambled off after Julie. "Call us if you get anything."

"Sure," Morgan mumbled, watching as the entirety of his team left him with a potential murderer. Out of context it might've seemed like a bad situation - them leaving him alone with a suspected killer - but considering the job this was actually part of the norm. Morgan glanced at the paper in his hands one last time before opening the door and entering the stuffy interrogation room.

Immediately he noticed the boy jumped at the loud sound of the door slamming, peering up at him with wide frightened eyes. If he was guilty, he was sure a good actor. Morgan sat across from him, the files already present on the table. He opened one that contained pictures of the first victim; Josh Smith. Slowly he turned the file around, showing the young boy the pictures.

"Did you know this man?" Morgan knew he did, of course, but he was hoping he'd tell himself. It would prove at least a part of him was up for being honest. When Reid only stared at him, his breathing somewhat erratic, he remembered the items he was holding. Gently Morgan placed the paper on the table along with the pen. "Come on, you can tell me."

Reid shakily grabbed the pen, grasping it tightly in his hand, and leaned over the paper, scribbling down some words that Morgan couldn't read from his angle. Once he was done, he slid the paper across the table.

Morgan blinked upon reading the message.

'You won't believe me. Nobody does. I'm just a freak.'

Morgan frowned, covering the message with his hand. "That's not true." He lifted his head, gazing at the boy - his file said he was actually twenty but regardless he looked like a boy to him - and forced a smile. "Some people just don't understand what you're going through and it can... make things tense."

Reid looked unimpressed with his choice of words.

"Listen," Morgan sighed, "I just need you to be honest with me." He tapped the paper with his finger. "You can do that now that you have paper and a pen, right?"

There was a short pause before finally Reid nodded, his lips pursed. Morgan flashed a genuine smile and gave the paper back to him. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all. The boy moved the paper in front of him and stared at the white page as Morgan continued talking. "You knew all three of the victims, didn't you?"

Reid's lips smacked as he opened them almost as if he wanted to say something but couldn't. With a disappointed huff, a sound he apparently could make, he began writing down his reply. When Morgan saw the answer he obviously wasn't surprised. 'Yes, I did,' Reid jotted down in his messy handwriting then right after added, 'but I didn't kill them.'

Morgan reread the message a few times, a part of him really wanting to believe the kid. But realistically his feelings didn't count for much if he didn't have any solid proof to support them. Smiling, he handed the paper back to him with a knowing nod. "I believe you," he said, "but I can't get you out of here unless we can prove it."

Reid seemed both relieved and disappointed all at once. With a shaking hand, he wrote a new message on the corner of the paper and turned the page. Morgan could only see it if he stretched his neck. 'I don't have an alibi. That's what you want, right?'

Morgan's smile faded away. He'd really been hoping he had an alibi; it would be the fastest way to prove his innocence.

Clearing his throat, he folded his hands together on the table. "I need to ask you something personal."

Reid didn't write anything at that, he merely nodded.

"Why are you mute?"

Reid visibly tensed, looking away from him. He stared at the perceived mirror for a minute or two then glanced back at Morgan with an almost desperate expression. He instantly understood what he wanted. "You don't want other people to know?" he questioned gently. Reid simply wet his lips.

"That's okay," Morgan continued, patting the table as he stood. He walked outside of the room, surprised when he saw Emily and JJ had returned. "I think he's willing to answer my questions," he started, searching for the button that would switch off the two-way mirror, "but not if he thinks a ton of other people are watching him like some science experiment."

Emily nodded. She didn't even question him when he found the button and clicked it off, darkening their view of the room.

Before he could enter the room again, JJ stopped him. "Do you think he's guilty?"

She wasn't asking him professionally - no, she was asking him what he _personally_ thought.

Morgan shrugged lazily. "Guess we can't be sure, huh?" He grabbed the handle of the door, lingering in the hallway. "But," he pulled the door open and suppressed a smile when relief spread across Reid's face upon realizing it was still him, "I don't think he killed anyone."


	2. The Evidence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter basically focuses on making Reid seem more human. Hope you enjoy!

Morgan sat back down at the table with a reassuring smile. "I turned off the two-way mirror," he explained, gesturing at the window. "It's just me and you now." When Reid didn't move right away, he let out an exasperated sigh. He wanted to be patient with him but time was ticking. If Reid _was_ innocent like he thought that mean the actual killer was still out there and potentially searching for a new victim. "I really want to help you, kid, but I can't unless you help yourself first."

The words seemingly struck something inside of him because immediately Reid dropped his head, scribbling on the paper. Once he was finished, he pushed the paper across the table.

It wasn't a short message like the last few times but what appeared to be an entire essay written within seconds. He could hardly believe he'd written so much so quickly. Morgan curiously glanced at Reid as he grabbed the paper then focused his gaze on the page, reading the sloppy handwriting.

'I don't remember what happened that made me like this,' Morgan subconsciously mouthed the words as he read along - a habit, 'I just know when I was younger my mother always read to me and I understood the words but when I tried speaking them myself I couldn't. It was like there was a barrier keeping me from truly talking to her - or anyone for that matter.'

Morgan frowned, his eyes dropping lower on the page as he continued reading. 'I've visited a lot of therapists but nobody has been able to help me. People think I'm dumb because of it but I know I'm not. I get good grades, I can memorize things a lot quicker than most people, but nobody sees that. Everyone just sees a dumb mute boy.'

A spark of anger ignited inside the pit of Morgan's stomach at the thought of people treating someone badly for something they couldn't help. 'I guess I can't answer your question, really, because I'm not even sure why I'm the way I am. But if I know one thing it's that I'm not a killer.'

Morgan wet his lips, placing the paper back on the table. "I don't think you're a killer," he mumbled, sincerity lacing his voice, "but the people around here - the local police - they _do_ and I can't convince them otherwise without some kind of proof, kid." 

Reid nodded and reached for the paper. Just as his fingertips grazed the paper, Morgan spoke again. If he really wanted the truth out of Reid, he had to gain the entirety of his trust and that wouldn't happen without effort on his end. "Let's forget the murders for a second," he started, not all surprised when Reid furrowed his brows suspiciously. "Tell me about yourself."

He blinked, pulling the paper over to him.

"Like what's your favorite color?" Morgan inquired, feeling somewhat awkward asking it. It felt weird, he realized, treating him like a human when previously he'd been nothing but a suspect. It also angered him. With the kind of job he had, he sometimes forgot the people he interrogated weren't just robots - evil or not, they were people with their own thoughts and personalities.

Reid finally looked away from him, writing his answer. When Morgan saw it, he couldn't help but let out a true laugh.

'I don't see the point in having a favorite color. I guess white because, in a way, it's all colors.'

Morgan's laughter only grew louder when he noticed the embarrassed look that swept across Reid's face. "No, no," he said, trying to get control over himself. "It's just... that's an odd answer." He breathed out slowly. "Odd isn't bad, though. What's your - " he was about to question him more when he was interrupted by a piece of paper being shoved in front of his face, blocking off his vision so he saw nothing but white.

'What's _your_ favorite color?'

He was finally getting somewhere, Morgan noted with a toothy smile. "I don't really know myself. Maybe blue?"

Slowly the paper was taken out of his face and gently placed back on the table. His smile widened at the sight of Reid, who looked surprised that he'd actually answered him. 

"Now can I continue?" Morgan asked, lifting a curious eyebrow. At least this meant the kid has some guts.

Reid flushed, shyly messing with his hair as he nodded.

"Have you lived here your whole life?" Morgan questioned, resting his elbows on the table. Once again he knew the answer. Garcia had told him earlier but this wasn't necessarily about learning new information, it was about building his relationship with the boy. "Do you like it here?" 

Reid shrugged before going back to the paper. 'I have. It's okay. It doesn't offer many opportunities.'

"But it's Miami," Morgan was actually astonished by his reply. A large number of people _dreamed_ of living here. It was a beautiful place bustling with life. It wasn't the safest place, of course - most cities aren't - but it was still a popular area for a handful of reasons. "Don't you like it here? All the people, attractions?"

He shrugged again, his shoulders rolling with the movement. 'I can't really advance in life until I get out of here.'

Morgan nodded at that. Really, he didn't understand but he'd pretend for now. "Well, what do you want to do?"

Suddenly Reid lit up, a smile spreading across his face. It was the first real smile Morgan had seen him give. He didn't write anything, though, he merely pointed at Morgan's jacket excitedly. It was almost childlike excitement. Confused, Morgan opened his jacket and then he saw it; his badge sticking out.

He cracked a grin. "You're interested in joining the FBI?"

Of course he wasn't the ideal for the FBI. He was small, skinny, but those things could easily be changed with some effort. He definitely, if anything, had the brain for it. Morgan pulled out his badge and tossed it across the table. Reid stared at it before he slowly touched it, opening it up so he could look at Morgan's ID.

"You're aiming high in life, huh?" Morgan muttered, a lazy smile on his face. "Good, don't ever stop."

\---

Morgan finally exited the room after about twenty minutes of merely chatting with Reid, getting to know him beyond what Garcia could tell him through the phone. After their conversation, it had become even more apparent to him. There was no way Reid was killer. It wasn't just a gut feeling now, he _knew_.

Immediately he was approached by JJ. "Morgan, there's something you should - "

Suddenly they were interrupted as a few officers pushed past the two agents, sweeping into the interrogation room. Morgan turned around without wasting a second, ignoring JJ as she yelled for him, and rushed into the room just as Reid was forcibly being handcuffed. He tried to keep his voice calm as he spoke. "What's going on?"

The officer who seemed to be highest in rank glanced at him with a disinterested look. "He's being confined."

Morgan knew that wasn't right. He blocked the door. "You can't do that without any real evidence."

From behind the officers he could see Reid struggling against the handcuffs, his breathing so erratic he wouldn't be surprised if he passed out then and there. The officer huffed, obviously annoyed by the hassle of dealing with him. Morgan glanced back at him. "We _have_ real evidence."

Morgan was forced out of the way somewhat violently. His back collided with the wall and he watched, angry and helpless, as Reid was pulled out of the room like an animal on a leash. It took a few minutes but after finally regaining his composure with no interruptions - apparently JJ knew he needed the moment -, he exited the room and approached JJ. "Did they find something at his house?" 

"..." JJ sucked on her bottom lip. She hated to be the one who broke the news. "A knife - the same kind used on the last three victims. It also had some blood residue on it. It's being tested now." Morgan tensed, and JJ gently touched his arm. "If it comes up positive for any of the victims, Morgan... I'm sorry."

\---

"He's being framed," Morgan stated. All the agents were sitting in the room Emily and JJ had prepared for them, hamburger wrappers littered across the table. Everyone had eaten except Morgan. "There's no way that kid is the killer." He turned his gaze on Hotch, silently pleading with him. "Come on, Hotch, you know I'm right."

Hotch let out a heavy sigh. "We won't know until the tests come back."

It didn't make sense why nobody believed him. Morgan huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He stared at the pictures on the board. Pictures of Spencer Reid, his house where the weapon had been found squirreled away in his bathroom, the victims - a mix of all the important information surrounding the case. 

Emily cracked a tiny smile, picking up on the tenseness in the room. "I've felt the same way before, Morgan," she started, her eyes sweeping across the photos of Reid; young and seemingly harmless with bright hazel eyes and a shy smile. "But I wasn't always right. Sometimes your instincts just get messed up. It's not - "

"I'm right about this," Morgan stressed, not an ounce of doubt in his voice. "Reid isn't our guy." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, and pressed a button on the intercom system they'd been given upon their arrival. Soon the sound of nails on a keyboard could be heard. "Hey, sunshine, can you do something for me real quick?"

He knew it was reaching but he had to try _something_ or an innocent person was going to be convicted of a crime he didn't commit. Part of the job was stopping that from happening. It was just as much about catching the bad guys as it was about protecting the good guys.

"Of course, what's up?" Garcia asked, her cheery voice flooding the room.

Morgan cleared his throat, side-eyeing Hotch as he spoke. "Can you look into the injuries all three men had?"

There was a short pause as Garcia pulled up the documents. "Okay, sweet thing, what do you need to know?"

"The injuries..." he trailed off, gnawing at his bottom lip thoughtfully. "The pressure it would've taken for those kind of injuries to be caused - how much is it?" 

It was science just like anything. So much pressure behind a knife was required before it could actually break skin and go through bones or organs. Most of the time agents and officers didn't look into it because it wasn't always solid information. Rage and adrenaline played a part. 

When she replied, the team all knew what Morgan was thinking because he even said it.

But he did, anyway.

"There's no way a kid his size can normally apply that much pressure," Morgan said, ending the call with Garcia. "If he did stab the victims, the wounds would've been a lot shallower but they _weren't_ and that has to mean something. Either the little kid had a partner, crazy rage, or we're holding the wrong guy while the actual killer is still out there searching for his next victim."

Hotch stared at him for a minute or two before sighing. "It's not solid evidence at all." He pushed out his chair and stood up. "But it's something. Let's go." Honestly Hotch didn't really care about the new evidence. It wasn't solid, there were many ways around it, but he did believe that if Morgan was this passionate he had to be onto something.

\---

"JJ, Rossi, can you two go to Reid's house and look around?" Hotch asked, facing the two agents. "Look for anything the local police might've missed." Both of them nodded, heading off the opposite direction after a quick goodbye. He turned back around and continued down the hallway with Emily and Morgan following closely behind. When he reached the area where Reid was being contained, he talked briefly with the guard, who nodded and unlocked the doors, allowing the agents through. 

Morgan visibly stiffened, Emily noticed after they'd passed the first few cells, at the realization that Reid was being held with _actual_ rapists and murderers. 

They continued walking until finally Morgan stopped after spotting a familiar mess of shaggy brown hair. He gestured at the guard wildly, who furrowed his brows before unlocking the cell with a resounding clatter. The minute Reid spotted the agents, he jumped up. He gleamed with relief and hope at the sight of Morgan.

Emily suddenly understood why Morgan felt the way he did. The kid didn't look like a murderer at all.

He took his eyes off Morgan and peered at Emily then Hotch. It was obvious he felt most threatened by Hotch. The moment he saw him, he inched back. It wasn't surprising. He was the boss of the group, the one with the aura that screamed authority. He probably reminded him of Julie, who hadn't been very nice to him so far from what Morgan had witnessed. She treated like he wasn't even human.

"We have some agents going to you house," Morgan explained softly, and Reid quickly looked back at him. "We - " he paused, deciding he shouldn't speak for the others. "I think you're being framed. I don't think you did any of this, okay?" Morgan walked over, gently sitting on the cold metal bed. It was really uncomfortable, he noted. "I need you to trust me and answer my questions truthfully." He patted the mattress and Reid got the hint, sitting down next to him. "You can do that, right?"

Reid glanced at Emily and Hotch, an unreadable expression on his face, before finally nodding.

"Now I don't have paper with me," Morgan continued, noticing when Reid frowned. It was apparent he hated the thought of not being able to properly communicate. Not that Morgan, or anyone, blamed him. "But I have my my phone and you can type out anything you want, okay?"

He was handed Morgan's phone, the notepad app already opened.

"Firstly, do you know anything about the knife they found?" Morgan asked, staring at Reid's face as he spoke.

His lips twitched, forming a frown, and he shook his head. 

"Okay, that's fine," Morgan assured him, patting his shoulder. "Do you know anyone who would try and frame you for something like this? Maybe a bully or someone you fight with a lot?"

Reid drummed his fingers against the back of Morgan's phone as he thought. It wasn't idle tapping, there was a tune - a pattern. Emily stepped forward, kneeling so she was leveled with Reid's face. "Is that a song?" she asked, pointing at his fingers. Reid quickly stopped his tapping, face flushed with embarrassment. "What's the name?" she pushed.

He wet his lips, slowly typing out his answer before handing the phone over.

Emily's smile widened some. "You like the classics, huh?"

Reid nodded shyly, returning the smile. Morgan couldn't help but smile at the natural exchange between nerds.

"I do, too." She gave him the phone back. "Now we need to know everyone you've ever came into contact with. The people you work with, your teachers, your friends - " Morgan noticed his smile faltered a bit at the mention of friends. "Everyone and anyone. If someone is framing you for this, they most likely know you." She reached out, squeezing his shoulder. "Can you do that for us if we give you some paper?"

He peered at Morgan, who just kept his smile steady. It was like he was asking permission. Finally he looked back at Emily and nodded, mouthing the words 'I'll do it.'


	3. Unforeseen Circumstances

"He needs to be taken out of that cell," Morgan explained once he'd found Julie again. It took a lot just to keep calm and professional when really all he wanted to do was rip her apart for treating Reid like a criminal when he obviously wasn't. "He has agreed to work with us and give us whatever we need." Morgan shifted, fighting back the snark that threatened his voice. "So it'd be best if he could, you know, actually be treated like a human now." So much for professional. 

Julie ignored him, shuffling through the files on her desk.

"Come on," Morgan continued, slamming a hand down on her desk. Files went spilling off the table, littering the floor with white. He instantly regretted the action, moving his hand off the desk with an awkward cough. "If you just give us a chance, we can prove he didn't kill anyone."

Julie lifted her head, staring at him hard. "I'll give you ten minutes," she stood up and crouched down, picking up the files slowly, "but that's it."

A grin spread across Morgan's face. "That's all we need."

Before he could get out the door, Julie spoke again. "But I don't know why you're fighting so hard for him. He's definitely guilty."

Morgan didn't say a word. She could believe what she wanted.

Reunited with the others, he gave the okay and they headed back to the cells. When they arrived, they spoke with the guard. Just like with Julie, he seemed displeased but ultimately obeyed. He retrieved the boy, handcuffs dangling from his wrists, and handed him over, telling them he'd need to be back within ten minutes like ordered. Hotch nodded.

They were halfway to the interrogation room when Reid suddenly stopped, his shoes squeaking on the metal floor. Morgan noticed first and halted, facing the young boy. The others continued for a few more steps before stopping, waiting for them. Reid lifted his head and, for the second time that day, Morgan saw a genuine smile grace his features.

He mouthed some words that Morgan didn't exactly have time to comprehend before continuing, gently pushing past him.

When the words finally clicked in his head, Morgan stifled a smile.

'Thank you for believing in me.'

\---

When they entered the interrogation room it was obvious Reid was happy (maybe that was the wrong word) to be out of the cell. It wasn't like the interrogation room was necessarily _better_ than the cell but it was still an upgrade. It wasn't quite as cramped and the chair was a lot more comfortable than the metal thing they'd called a bed. He sat down, adjusting himself.

"Okay," Morgan breathed, using the key to remove his handcuffs. "I got you a few pieces of paper." He plopped a stack of paper down in front of him along with a pencil. He thought a pencil might be better for this. If he made any mistakes, he could erase them without a hassle. "Now just relax and write down everyone you can remember meeting, knowing, talking with - the smallest thing can help, trust me."

Morgan knew he needed to get back out and discuss things with his team but when he turned to leave, he felt a hand sweep across his arm. Morgan glanced behind him, eyes dropping to the hand reaching out for him. The look Reid was giving him was oddly endearing. It was like he didn't want him to go. He ruffled his hair. "I'll be back in a minute, pretty boy."

He flushed, turning his attention back to the paper in front of him.

Morgan stepped out of the room, softly closing the door behind him - careful not to disturb the boy. He realized JJ and Rossi had returned. "Hey," he greeted, noticing seconds later JJ was holding something in her hands; a small journal. He sucked in air. "Did you get that from his house?"

She nodded, handing the book over.

Morgan flipped through the pages, stopping once he'd reached a page dated May 22nd. The day of the first murder.

'He did it again,' the page began. 'He's always doing it, always treating me like some freak. I think a part of him might just -.' Abruptly the page ended. Morgan furrowed his brows. It looked like someone had deliberately torn the page at that part for a reason. "What is this?"

Hotch had a tight-lipped expression. "I don't want to make a large assumption," he started, voice low, "but I think Reid might've mentioned the UNSUB in that entry." He glanced at the two-way mirror, looking through the glass. Reid was already working on a second page of names. "Think you can get it out of him?"

"I don't know," Morgan mumbled, feeling somewhat guilty at having looked through the boy's journal. "But I can try." He tucked the journal in his pocket, just barely small enough to fit, before reentering the room. "Hey," he greeted sheepishly, sitting back down. "You've got a lot of names written down already, don't you?"

He was actually surprised by how much Reid had written in those two minutes he'd been standing outside. 

Reid looked at him curiously. It seemed he caught on that something had shifted in the man's demeanor since before.

"Has anyone stuck out?" Morgan inquired, gesturing at the list. Reid shook his head no, appearing discouraged that he hadn't found a name yet. Quickly Morgan changed the subject.  "JJ and Rossi found something at your house. Something that might help us a lot."

Reid seemed more suspicious now. He slowly nodded, setting the pencil down.

Without saying a word, Morgan removed the journal from his pocket and placed it on the table. He wasn't surprised at all when Reid grew visibly upset at the invasion of privacy. He tried reaching for the journal but Morgan kept it away from him. "Reid, you know I only looked through it so I could help," he explained softly. "I didn't look at any of the pages - just the one titled May 22nd, okay?"

'Why?' he mouthed, eyebrows furrowed.

He didn't even know? "That's the date of the first murder." Reid looked surprised. "Do you mind?" he questioned, and Reid stared at him closely for a second or two before shaking his head. Morgan opened the journal, stopping at the same page he'd looked at previously. He pointed at where it'd been torn. "Did you do - "

Before he could even get the question out, Reid had snatched the journal from him. He looked enraged. He threw the journal down, angrily glaring at Morgan. He obviously wanted to say something but couldn't. Swiftly he scribbled something down on the paper near him. 

Morgan glanced at the words. 

'Did _you_ do this?"

Morgan looked shocked. "No, of course not." He pointed at the page. "But I think I know who did. Who was the man you were talking about here?"

Seemingly confused, Reid quickly wrote on the paper again.

'Why does that matter?'

Morgan gave a smile. He was so close. All he needed was a name, he couldn't rush him now. Once more he gave attention to the page, patting the paper with urgency. "The person who framed you obviously entered your house at some point to plant the knife." Reid nodded along as he spoke, listening closely. "There's a chance they saw this and got scared. Now why would they get scared over some journal entry?"

Brown eyes widened as he realized what Morgan was hinting at. Reid grabbed the pencil, steadied it, and began writing down the name of the man he'd been talking about in the entry. After it, he wrote down a bit more information - thinking it couldn't hurt - and handed it over.

'Joey Brown. He works at the same cafe as me. He has a tendency to be aggressive. Gets angry easily.'

Morgan's smile widened. Now they had him; the _real_ killer. He grabbed the paper and stood up but not before ruffling the boy's hair for a second time. "Reid, you don't know how important this is." His hand lingered in Reid's hair; soft as silk. "You'll be out of here soon, don't worry."

\---

"Joey Brown, right?" Garcia confirmed, long fingernails tapping at her keyboard, a slight humming behind her words. 

The team was surrounding the table, a webcam set up in the middle. "That's right, baby girl, got anything on him?"

"This is odd..." she grumbled, eyes scanning the many documents popped up on the screen before her. "The kid was right, he's been working at the same cafe for two years now but before that - " there was the sound of clicking " - it's like he didn't exist."

Suddenly Morgan knew something wasn't right. He glanced at Hotch, who had the same expression on his face. He felt it, too.

"There's not even a birth certificate for him," she exclaimed, "this is fishy."

Morgan breathed out slowly, trying not to let the news bring down his mood. They still had a name. That was good. Better than before, at least. "Okay, okay, that's okay," he mumbled. "He still has an address, right?" Morgan shifted, pressing his hands into the table. "I mean, he's gotta live _somewhere_."

The look that swept across Garcia's face was enough for him to know the answer. "There's nothing. Not upfront, at least," she quickly added upon noticing Morgan's disappointment. "I'll look a bit harder and call you back as soon as I find something. And Morgan," she continued right before he'd shut the tablet off, "keep your head up."

He forced a smile and closed the tablet.

"Could he be using a fake name?" Rossi inquired, eyebrows drawn together. 

Emily nodded, arms crossed over her chest. "If he is, Garcia will find out and let us know."

Hotch patted Morgan's back. He hadn't seen Morgan this invested in a case for a long time. A part of him knew it wasn't good for Morgan to be _quite_ so involved - it was never good for an agent to forget their place - but he couldn't say that right now. It was most important that they found Joey and cleared Reid. If Morgan being emotional helped them in that, it'd be worth it. "Go update Reid on the situation."

Morgan glanced at him, surprised at first, but then slowly a smile graced his features. "Yeah, okay." Somehow the thought of seeing the kid calmed him. He didn't understand why and thinking about it honestly scared him. For now, he'd just enjoy the feeling and ignore the reasoning behind it. 

\---

'He's not in the system?'

Morgan stared at the question. "No. I mean, there's records of him working with you but beyond that... it's like he doesn't even exist." He noted the fear that rushed through Reid's eyes. If they didn't find Joey, what would happen to him? "But we have the best person possible on the job," he assured, images of Garcia flashing in the back of his mind. "She'll find him, don't worry."

He gave a small smile. 

"Do you know anything about Joey that might help us find him?" It couldn't hurt just asking.

Reid tilted his head, bottom lip jutted out thoughtfully. His lip disappeared inside his mouth as he flicked his tongue over the chapped skin. Finally he grabbed the paper, jotting down the only information he thought could possibly be helpful. A detailed description of Joey's appearance -- and car.

Eyes wide, Morgan snatched the paper up. "You have a good memory, right?"

Slowly Reid nodded, not really understanding the point of the question. 

He had almost every possible detail about the man's car. The model, the color, the number of scratches on both sides. If he could remember _that_ surely he remembered - Morgan fought back excitement. They had a chance here. He glanced at Reid with determination. "The license plate, can you remember it?"

Suddenly everything made sense. Reid nodded as he scribbled down the mixture of letters and numbers.

"You're a fucking genius," Morgan exclaimed, jumping out of his chair as soon as the paper was in his hand.

Reid watched as he left the room. After he was gone, he reached up and patted his face. It was a lot hotter than it should've been.

\---

Morgan gathered the team and readied another call to Garcia. As soon as the call went through, Garcia spoke before Morgan even had a chance. He stayed silent as she spoke, a desperate urgency lacing her voice. An urgency that made everyone feel unsettled for the incoming news. "I think I found something good." She paused. "Or bad. I don't really know."

He subconsciously looked around the room at the other agents, swallowing down the nervous lump that had formed in the back of his throat. "What is it?"

"Joey Brown isn't exactly Joey Brown."

Emily closed her eyes. "So it was a fake name."

"I looked and looked and finally I found it. He legally changed his name about a year ago - "

Morgan slammed his fists on the table, startling everyone in the room. Garcia quickly went quiet. "That's around the time Reid started working with him." His breathing was somewhat erratic. "He probably had his eyes on him the entire time." He snatched his hands off the table and began pacing the room as Garcia gently continued.

"His real name is Joey Harts."


	4. The Beginning of the End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's kinda short but I hope you guys like it anyway! I'm so happy with all the wonderful feedback I've been getting. Comments, kudos, it all means the world to me. I'm still not quite sure how many chapters it's going to have - probably around 8ish.

"Have you seen Julie?" JJ had been around the entire station twice and still there was no sign of the woman. The longer she spent searching with no luck, the more aggravated Morgan got. Not at JJ, of course, just at the situation itself. Eventually she realized she was just wasting time and rejoined the group with a sad smile. "The last time anyone saw her she was leaving her office after having a discussion with Morgan."

Morgan thought back. "That's probably when I asked her about letting us work with Reid." He closed his eyes. He was on the verge of getting a headache. "If I'd known, I never would've walked out and just left her."

Smile still firmly on her face, JJ patted his arm. "You had no way of knowing."

"What's important is that we have Reid," Emily piped up from the back of the group. "There's a good chance the endgame for Joey is getting rid of him. As long as he's with us, he should be safe."

Hotch nodded, gesturing at Morgan. "We need someone with him at all times. With Julie being his mother, he could easily get access to the station. Go sit with him and keep a good eye out for Joey or Julie. If you see them, _contact_ us," he stressed, "don't do anything reckless." Morgan seemed unimpressed. "Don't do it for us, do it for Reid," Hotch continued, surprising the group. "If you get too ahead of yourself you'll be putting him at risk."

Hotch knew exactly what he needed to say to get through to him. Maybe that was part of what made him a good leader. Morgan shifted his weight. "Yes, sir." Without another word, he turned around and headed for the interrogation room. A part of him wanted to be on the job, wanted to be there when they caught Joey, wanted to see his face when all hope was torn away from him, but a bigger part of him wanted to be with Reid, wanted to protect him.

Once he had disappeared down the hall, Hotch faced JJ. "You need to inform the detectives and officers of the possibility Julie is involved in this. If we don't, they might unknowingly work with her."

Emily pursed her lips. "Can we be sure none of the detectives or officers are working with her?" Hotch glanced at her. He wasn't angry at her interruption, just curious. "I mean, weren't the officers kinda unnecessarily aggressive with Reid?" She crossed her arms with a thoughtful click of her tongue. "Kinda fishy if you ask me."

"She's not entirely wrong," Rossi added. "They treated him pretty bad. Even if he _had_ committed the crimes, officers rarely get that spirited over it unless it's somehow personal."

Hotch knew it was on him. He could tell JJ to go ahead with it and potentially put Reid at risk of being attacked knowingly by officers inside the building or go the other way and potentially get Reid hurt through the ignorance of officers who don't know the situation. There was now way of knowing which was the right decision.

"JJ," he started, and she looked at him, "tell them."

She gave a smile that said she trusted his decision. "Yes, sir."

\---

When Morgan saw the interrogation room come into sight, he immediately knew something wasn't right. The guard from earlier was nowhere to be seen, leaving the door unprotected. Normally a suspect wouldn't be left without a guard outside their door - even if it was locked from the outside - as part of a safety protocol. He started walking faster, hoping he was wrong. Just this once. Upon reaching the door, he glanced into the two-way window.

His stomach made a gurgling sound as he nearly emptied it on the floor, his head spinning.

He reached out, steadying himself on the wall. 

It took a few minutes before Morgan finally got the strength to call Hotch. He positioned the phone at his ear. "Hotch," his voice was shaking, "it's Morgan."

_"How is Reid doing?"_

Morgan swallowed, his throat bobbing. "Hotch, he's... he's not here." He tightly grasped the phone, his vision almost blurry under the bright lights of the hallway. Everything felt like it was crashing down on him. He couldn't protect him. He was gone and it was his fault. "I think they got him."

\---

"The premises have been closed off," JJ explained, facing the large group of displeased officers and detectives. She forced a smile. Really, she was just as angry as Morgan but she couldn't let it show through if she wanted to keep the men and women under control. "We are currently doing a search for a missing suspect - " the word tasted bitter on her tongue. "Please stay calm until the search is over."

Next to her Emily cleared her throat, gesturing at a piece of paper on the nearest desk. "While you're waiting please write down your name so we can contact you if we have any questions."

Grumbling, the group formed a messy line and folks began jotting down their names.

JJ and Emily stood off to the side, resting against the wall, watching for anyone suspicious. 

"Morgan really cares about him," Emily suddenly said, making JJ jump.

She turned abruptly, looking at Emily with furrowed brows. "Who?"

Emily shrugged, not once meeting her eyes. "Reid."

"He's always like that with victims," JJ replied, seemingly unimpressed. She glanced back at the group, tapping her foot on the floor. It would be a lie if she said she wasn't curious about how Emily had come about that speculation. Finally JJ tried casually bringing it up again. "Anyway, don't you feel the same way he does?"

Emily wet her lips. "I'm worried about him," she explained, "but I can't say I necessarily _care_ about him." She tilted her head, watching as the woman signing her name turned around and chatted briefly with the detective behind her before wandering off. "Not like Morgan does."

"It's just because he's a big softy, don't think too much about it," JJ joked, a smile gracing her features. 

\---

"Okay, Garcia," Morgan started, sitting at the table with his phone. He'd been given the paper from earlier; the paper that listed each detective and officer that would've been in the building around the time Reid went missing. "I'm going to give you some names. Let me know if anyone seems out of sorts."

He heard her smack her lips as she most likely flashed a smile. "Go ahead, sweet stuff."

Slowly he went through the list. After each name he would pause and listen as Garcia called out some basic information that really didn't help at all. All of the men and women seemed normal for the most part. Nobody stood out as potentially being part of this whole ordeal. When he reached the end with no new leads, he grumbled angrily.

"I'm sorry, baby," Garcia said, obviously unhappy with herself for not being more of a help. "Let me know if you need something else, okay?"

Morgan breathed out. "Thanks. Bye."

The call ended with a click. Morgan stared at the wall for a long moment before resting his head on the table. In the distance he could hear the almost silent bustle of people. His mind eventually blocked out the noise. He could see him. Spencer Reid; his smile, his messy hair, his eyes that grew bright when he talked about things that made him passionate. He could even hear the little noises he made; the huffs of air, the groans, the sighs.

Before drifting off, only one thing was on his mind.

The possibility of being a little too attached to Reid but somehow not minding it at all.

\---

"Wake up, would ya?" 

Reid felt water splash across his face and body, sending shivers down his spine. The water was like ice, cooling him from the inside out. Suddenly everything from earlier - all the memories - came barreling back to him, overwhelming his mind. Joey had entered the interrogation room, stunned him with a gun before he could even attempt yelling, and obviously taken him away.

He opened his eyes, staring up at his captor. He was nothing but a blur.

"You really should've just played along," Joey mumbled, faking empathy. "This could've all been avoided."

Reid slowly looked around the room. It was concrete, dark, and they weren't alone. In the corner of the room laid a limp body, contorted in a position no healthy human could achieve. The only thing he could tell was that it was likely a woman by the long hair and curves lining the body. He gasped, going lightheaded as fear rushed through him. 

"You saw her, eh?" Joey brought him out of his hazy thoughts. "I really hated doing it but I couldn't have her ratting on me."

When it clicked what he meant, Reid felt sick. Images of Julie flashed through his mind. She might've been rude but she didn't deserve _this_. He wanted so badly to say something but nothing came out. Just silence.

Joey gave an amused smile, crouching down in front of Reid. He reached out, grasping the boy's face in his hand and squeezing. His chin felt like it was going to pop. Reid roughly began struggling, his head colliding with the wall behind him. The pain didn't stop him for even a second. He knew he had to get away before Joey killed him.

After all if he had no qualms killing his own _mother_ , what could possibly stop Joey from killing him?

"I never liked you," Joey muttered, his grip becoming tighter and tighter on his jaw until Reid truly thought it was going to break. "You're a freak who can't speak up for himself yet you somehow always end up with all the attention." He released his jaw, and Reid let out a relieved sound. "It's so fucking unfair."

He considered how much easier it'd be if Joey just quickly finished him off. But then he thought of  _him_. Dark skin, a smile that said 'trust me', brown eyes the same color as chocolate. Reid clenched his teeth. He'd find him, he knew he would. All he had to do was stay alive until he did.

He looked up, his stomach lurching when he saw the glistening metal of a knife.

Joey stared at the knife for a long moment, almost like he was admiring it. "I've always wanted to do this," he mumbled, swirling the knife around in his hand. He crouched down, his knees making an almost painful noise as they touched the concrete. He slowly pressed the knife against Reid's cheek. "And I'm going to take my sweet time."

\---

"They found her body." 

Morgan was just waking up when JJ told him the news. He shifted in his chair, eyes widening once the statement finally clicked and made sense in his head. He couldn't believe he'd fallen asleep but he didn't have enough time to be angry at himself. Not right now, at least. "You mean - "

"She obviously wasn't involved," JJ began, setting a cup of coffee in front of him - she knew he needed it even if he hadn't asked for it. "Or if she was involved she probably started having second thoughts about kidnapping Reid and Joey saw her as a threat because of it."

Morgan sighed, grasping the coffee. He hadn't necessarily _liked_ Julie but she definitely hadn't deserved death. Suddenly it was like he'd been burnt by the coffee as he abruptly tore his hand away. He peered up at JJ with a horrible look on his face. "That means he probably isn't far behind..."

She didn't say it but Hotch had made the same assumption. JJ gulped. "Morgan, he'll be fine." She touched his shoulder. "You knew him the best... so let me ask you something." She squeezed his shoulder; a comforting gesture that he truly appreciated for once. "Is Reid the type who'd go down without a fight?"

He couldn't help but crack a smile at that. "Hell no."

JJ returned the smile. "Then let's not give up hope."


	5. Soft Spots

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter showcases how even Hotch is warming up to Reid. Hope you enjoy!

Hotch gathered the team and called Garcia. The room was stuffy and filled with a silent tension as Garcia’s voice came through the tablet. “I looked for any places Joey might’ve frequented outside of the cafe…” Her tone give away her findings. “But nothing jumped out.”

“Are you sure, Garcia?” Hotch inquired, stepping closer to the tablet. 

She sighed; a breathless sound. “I’m sorry guys… This guy is good.” She crinkled her nose. “I mean, bad. He knows how to hide his tracks. Unless he makes a mistake somewhere I’m not sure I’ll be able to find him.”

Nobody was surprised when Morgan stood up and exited the room, drumming a fist along the door as he did. He stepped outside, looking around at the dozens of officers and detectives who had all since been cleared. A small part of him wished someone here had been involved. 

At least then they’d have some sort of lead.

“Sir.”

Morgan turned his head. A young officer stared back at him. “Yes?”

“Are you SSA Derek Morgan?” He questioned. Even if he  _hadn’t_ been trained in profiling it was obvious the man was nervous. He was chewing on his bottom lip, fidgeting with the envelope in his hand. Morgan nodded slowly. “I was told to give you this.” 

When he extended the envelope to him, Morgan grasped it. He felt shivers go through his spine. “Who gave you this?” He asked, turning the yellow package. There was nothing written on it.

The man cleared his throat. “A woman outside. She’s being held for questioning.”

Morgan nodded curtly. A woman meant it wasn’t Joey. He opened the envelope with ease and looked inside. Surprisingly enough it wasn’t anything he had expected. It wasn’t horrible photos of Reid being tortured or worse - a video of him being tortured. It wasn’t a letter detailing his torture or demanding money. It was just a small phone.

He pulled it out, eyebrows furrowing together. “A phone?”

“Should I have someone question the woman?” The officer asked. 

Morgan glanced at him. Considering it was a woman and there was nothing in the profile about a partner the chances were Joey had done the same thing she’d done with the officer; paid her to hand it over without even knowing the content. “Just keep her secure for the time being.” He tapped the phone with his thumb. “I need to let the team see this.”

The officer nodded, looking almost guilty. 

He turned around and entered the room. “I think we got something.” 

He tossed the phone on the table with a clatter and immediately Hotch was going for it. He stared at the device just like he had, confusion appear on his face. “Why would he send us a phone?”

Emily shrugged, staring at the back of the phone. “Maybe it has nothing to do with Joey.”

"Or he'll eventually call and demand a ransom." JJ added.

Suddenly a loud ringing erupted as the phone began vibrating violently in Hotch’s grasp. He quickly glanced at the caller ID but it was blocked. If they had been prepared for the possibility of this they could’ve had the equipment ready and potentially be tracking the number right now but currently they had nothing but their own intelligence.

Morgan snatched the phone away from Hotch. “We’ve gotta answer it, man.”

Hotch knew there was no other choice. He breathed out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. “Keep him on the line as long as you can.” He commanded sternly. “Emily - “ She nodded at being recognized. “Go see how fast we can set up the tracking equipment.”

She scurried out of the room. Hotch gestured for Morgan to go ahead.

He did without hesitation. He answered the call and put it on speaker. Nothing. “Is this Joey?” Morgan asked, staring blankly at the wall while he spoke. He had to be careful. One wrong word and he might hang up. “We know you didn’t mean to kill any of those people.”

Hotch watched from the sidelines, clenching his jaw. 

“You were just - “ Morgan considered the possibilities before deciding on “ - overwhelmed. You were the best until Reid came along, right? Then suddenly you were just another average guy - “ Just  _pretending_ to emphasize him made Morgan ill. “Really, it was his fault. You only did what you had to.”

He paused, giving Joey time to respond if he wanted. Once again nothing. Just total silence. Morgan glanced at Hotch. It was then it happened and everything clicked within Morgan’s head.

A pained groan. Morgan nearly dropped the phone.

“Hotch.” He stressed. “That isn’t Joey. That’s Reid.”

—

Reid stared at the phone, his eyes blurry from crying.  _This_ was the last part of his torture. It wasn't physical but it was just as painful as the wounds lining his body. Joey had called Morgan and placed the phone near his head with a devilish smile before leaving, locking the door behind him for extra measure. 

He wanted to be helpful, wanted to let him know where he was but he couldn’t. 

“ _Come on, kid, I know it's you. Just give me a hint_.” Morgan was begging. He sounded so desperate. It didn’t fit him at all. “ _Just… grunt out a reply. I don’t know_.” He heard something that sounded like another male. No, he knew that voice. It was the leader - Hotch. 

Reid opened his mouth but all he could force out was a tired sigh. He just wanted it to be over. He wanted to sleep. The pain was becoming too much. He couldn’t even see the phone now his vision was so blurred. 

“ _You can’t sit there and not help me_.” Morgan sounded angry but Reid knew that wasn't right. He was just so upset he couldn't control himself. Reid felt his stomach churn. All because of him. He felt like puking. He never should've gotten Morgan and his team involved. “ _Just give me a hint. Anything at all._ ”

Reid glanced around the room the best he could. Nothing really made sense. Everything was melting together, growing darker by the second. Morgan spoke again and he fought just to look back at the phone. “ _Pretty boy, you do this and you won’t ever be able to join the FBI._ ”

” _I -_ “ Morgan sucked in air. Reid could barely hear him as he discussed something with Hotch. “ _Hotch says he’ll see about helping you get a spot in the academy_.” Reid would’ve normally jumped at the news but right now he couldn’t even feel his legs. “ _Of course he can’t help you pass but I know you can do that all by yourself.  I know you’re too stubborn to accept failure_.” He paused. " _Now prove it._ "

—

Morgan looked back at Hotch. It’d been two minutes since any sound had come from the phone.

He switched off speaker and slowly lifted the phone, pressing the device tight against his ear. His tongue darted out, dampening his chapped lips. “I thought it’d be nice, you know, if we could work together at some point.” Morgan swallowed back the images of Reid limp in a basement somewhere. “It’ll take time before you can join the BAU, of course, but it’s still a good possibility. With a brain like yours we’d be lucky to have you.”

Nothing. Not even silent breathing. Morgan closed his eyes.

“Come on, pretty boy, let’s start being a team right now.”

Morgan needed precise control just to keep his voice from cracking.

“You tell me where you are.”

He grasped the phone tightly. 

“And I’ll come save you. Sounds good, yeah?”

Morgan opened his eyes. Emily had reentered the room. She whispered with Hotch for a few seconds before he gestured at Morgan. “The equipment is ready.”

He nodded curtly. “Okay, Spencer, I don’t know if you can hear me or not but I need you to stay on the phone for as long as you can.” Morgan paused, though he didn’t know what he was waiting for. “It doesn’t matter if you talk or not, just  _don’t_ hang up.”

Once he was done, he followed the others out of the room. The equipment was set up on a desk, already fired up. A woman took the phone from him for a short period, plugging it into the tracking device.

It rattled. It was old but all it needed to do was work.

Morgan sat down at the desk, glancing over at JJ. She was on the phone with Garcia. “Okay, everything is ready. Got it?” 

A quick tapping of fingernails on plastic. “Yup, just keep him on there for uh - about five minutes and I should be able to track the overall location. But I'll be able to get a more specific address the longer he stays on.”

Morgan turned his attention back on the phone. It was time for him to do his part. “Hey, pretty boy - “ The nickname warmed the tip of his tongue. He really didn’t like the possibility of never having a chance to call him that again. “We’re going to find you, okay?” He couldn’t help feeling disappointed at the silence that followed his encouragements. “You’re going to be fine.”

—

Reid wanted to stay awake - he  _really_ did - but the darkness was becoming more and more inviting by the second. He knew the second he closed his eyes and let the darkness take him over, the pain would go away.

That’s all he wanted.

But as each thought of giving up passed through his mind Morgan spoke seconds later, his voice tired but alert. He couldn’t give up. If he did, all this Morgan was doing would be for nothing.

Reid rolled onto his side, letting out a pained gasp. 

“ _He made a noise -_  “ He heard Morgan’s excited voice. 

He imagined the agent’s smile, wide and cheery, and hoped that even if he didn’t get to him before it was too late that he’d never stop smiling so brightly. He assumed not. Death. was part of his job. It was in the description. Reid grasped at the phone weakly, his fingers curling around the device.

A woman’s distant voice. “ _We got a location!”_

“ _Can Garcia get the exact address yet?_ ” Morgan asked urgently. 

There was a pause. “ _Not for another few minutes._ ”

—

“Hotch, you should stay here with JJ and Rossi.” Morgan stood up, tugging on his jacket. He handed the phone to Hotch, who seemed displeased with the idea. “I’ll go with Emily and start searching the area.” When Hotch continued looking displeased, he sighed. “I’ve gotta go out there, I can’t just sit around and wait.”

He sighed, pressing the phone against his ear. “Go.”

Flashing a toothy smile, he nodded. “Thanks, Hotch, I owe you one.” Morgan turned, facing Emily. “You ready to spend the next few minutes searching until we drop?” He lifted an eyebrow.

She snorted, placing a hand on her hip. “I was born ready.”

The pair left the station. Morgan first with Emily following closely behind him. The cool night air hit them like a wall. In a weird way, it relaxed Morgan, reminded him he was alive. They grabbed the nearest SUV. Morgan was busying himself with adjusting everything when Emily spoke, her voice quiet. 

“What if it’s too late?”

He abruptly paused. “What?”

Emily sucked her bottom lip inside her mouth, chewing nervously on the smooth skin. “I shouldn’t have said that. Sorry.” She turned her head, staring out the window. But it was a real possibility and she just wanted her partner to be prepared for that.

“I know we might not get there in time.” Morgan mumbled, glancing over his shoulder as he quickly pulled out of the parking lot. The wheels screeched against the pavement. “But I know if I think like that I’ll just lose all hope.”

Emily peered at him.

“And Reid - “ He glanced back at her. “He needs all the hope in the world right now."

—

JJ couldn't help but be amused by how awkward Hotch sounded on the phone with Reid even despite the dire situation. He mumbled little encouragements, his usual confidence unapparent. He had done this a million times before but for some reason it was apparent it was different with the mute boy. 

She assumed it had something to do with Morgan. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by the excited sound of Garcia’s voice. “I found it. I have an address.”

JJ flashed a relieved smile. “Can you - “

“Send it to your phones?” Garcia finished knowingly. “Already did.”

Of course she had. “Garcia, I love you.” JJ stood up, gesturing for Hotch’s attention. After ending the call, she spoke to him. “Garcia sent the address to our phones. We should go.”

Hotch almost seemed relieved. “I should probably - “ He pointed at the phone.

JJ ushered that the equipment could be turned off, and that’s exactly what everyone did - they shut off the machines. Meanwhile Hotch stepped away from the group, clearing his throat. 

“I’m not as optimistic as Morgan.” He started awkwardly. “But that’s okay because that’s what makes us different.” Hotch focused his gaze on the floor. “If you can hear me right now, we’ll be there soon. Morgan will be there soon." He paused, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. "Keep your head up, okay, kid?” He pulled the phone away from his ear as the call ended with a quiet clicking sound.


	6. Road Closed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is slowly ending. There'll probably be 1 or 2 more chapters depending on how things go. Sorry it's so short but this is the first time I'll actually be completing a fic with multiple chapters so I'm just proud I haven't lost motivation along the way. Thank you all for the wonderful support & sweet comments!

Emily felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and quickly dug it out. "Morgan," she breathed, "Garcia was able to find an exact location."

She couldn't help but smile at the way Morgan's face brightened at the news. "What is it?"

With ease, she read off the address on her phone and upon noticing he was headed away from the address Morgan turned the car around. The SUV rumbled and squeaked with the unexpected movement but neither agents seemed phased by it.

The next few minutes were spent in silence. 

Emily quietly watched as Morgan slowly but surely picked up speed by the second, his impatience clearly showing on his face - his lips formed a tight line, his eyebrows furrowed together. She glanced out the window, reading each sign they passed. When the right name came into sight, she pointed. 

"Here!"

Morgan turned the wheel so fast and so hard Emily truly thought it might break off.

Just as they pulled onto the small stretch of road Emily's phone went off for a second time and she checked the caller ID.

"Hotch," she informed Morgan before answering the call. "We just pulled onto the road."

The dark-skinned agent didn't need to hear Hotch to know what he was saying.

_Wait for backup._

He scoffed, gaining a confused look from Emily before she focused back on the call. "Yes, sir." With that, she finished the call and stuffed her phone back into her pocket. "He said he wants us to wait for - "

"Backup, yeah," Morgan mumbled.

He glanced at each house they passed until finally he saw the right number. 40th.

His foot slammed on the brakes and the SUV quickly halted, mud flying from the sudden stop. 

"That's probably why we couldn't find him," Emily started, staring at the abandoned house. It was old and falling apart, the ceiling having dropped inward at some point, and the outside was overgrown with weeds. You couldn't even see the door. "He found an abandoned place nobody would normally check on."

Morgan didn't reply, he merely ripped off his seatbelt and climbed out of the vehicle.

Emily quickly followed. "Morgan, Hotch said - "

"I know what he said," he hissed, ignoring the slightly hurt look at his friend's face. "But I'm not gonna sit out here when Reid might be dying in there." 

She wet her lips. "But Joey might still be here. He might be waiting for us."

"Then don't make me do this alone," Morgan replied softly, already pulling out his gun.

Normally she would listen to Hotch but one look at the other agent and she knew she couldn't say no. He was desperate and it showed. If she didn't know better, she'd even say he would surely have new wrinkles after this from the stress.

Slowly she pulled out her own gun, readying it for fire. "Let's go."

\---

They slowly wandered up to the door, standing on either side. When nothing happened, Morgan gave a curt nod and stepped back, slamming his foot into the door. It came tumbling down, the wood cracking from the pressure.

As soon as it was down, they both rushed into the abandoned house with their guns and lights readied. 

The house was as bad on the inside as it was on the outside. The wallpaper was peeling, there was the faint smell of mold, and the floors creaked so loudly with each step Emily thought she might fall through at any moment. 

They separated, checking each room. Morgan started with the right side of the house. There was a kitchen, bathroom, and eventually he was at the last room. From behind the door he heard rustling and he bit his lip, keeping back any sounds that might give him away.

He breathed through his nose and reached for the doorknob. One. Two --

"Morgan!" 

He quickly turned on his heels, subconsciously throwing his gun up. Emily paused, lifting her hands, a bit startled, and Morgan slowly regained himself as he dropped the gun by his side. "What is it?" he whispered, jabbing a thumb at the door. "I was just about to - "

That's when he noticed the phone pressed against her ear. 

She smiled, small and sad. "We're at the wrong house."

Morgan furrowed his brows. "That's impossible, I just heard - " He opened the door, his face falling when he saw the source of the earlier sound; a mouse playing around in fallen and torn wallpaper. "Shit."

\---

"I'm gonna put Hotch on speaker so he can explain," Emily mumbled as they climbed back into the SUV. She clicked speaker and placed the phone on her lap as Hotch's voice and the sound of the engine filled the car.

She side-eyed Morgan, who looked _incredibly_ pissed. Not that she could blame him.

"Garcia got the wrong location initially," Hotch started, his voice calm and collected despite the situation. "It appears Joey was jumping off connections."

As much as he knew it wasn't right Morgan felt a flare of anger at the cheery blonde.

"Rossi, JJ, and I are almost at the new location," he continued after a second, "come join us as soon as possible."

Morgan listened as Emily quietly muttered the address. He revved the engine a few times and started in the right direction, clawing at the steering wheel so hard, Emily noticed, that his knuckles were turning white.

The call ended as they turned off a bumpy road. Emily saw the signs before Morgan did.

"The road is closed off?" she asked, confusion lacing her voice. 

Morgan blinked before slamming his hands against the wheel, nearly making Emily jump out of her skin. She turned her head quickly, glancing at the bewildered agent. "How the hell did Hotch get there then?"

"He came from the other direction," she pointed out weakly.

He closed his eyes. "We don't have time to go all the way back around."

Emily nodded. "Let me call Hotch again, maybe we can figure something out."

She dialed the number and waited and waited. Finally it clicked, signaling that he'd picked up. "Hotch?" she asked. It almost never took him so long to answer the phone and if she said she wasn't worried she'd be lying.

"Now really isn't a good time," Hotch said, though his voice - like almost always - still held calm. "Joey is still here. We thought he'd be gone. I mean, with the phone call we just assumed he'd finished whatever plan he had."

Morgan's eyes flared with anger. "Hotch, have you found Reid yet?"

The long pause did nothing to calm the angry agent.

"Joey ran into the basement and locked the door," Hotch began. "We're afraid to bust in because there's a good chance he has Reid down there."

Emily watched with saddened eyes as Morgan leaned over, resting his forehead against the steering wheel. She almost thought he was crying for a moment when suddenly he threw his head up and slammed on the gas.

"You - !" she started, eyes wide.

They ran through the signs, sending them flying off the road, and continued down the bumpy road. Morgan didn't seem like he cared if the ruined the SUV, though Emily knew Hotch would. Hotch's voice quickly filled the car again.

"What's going on?"

Emily made a face. "Uh, nothing, Morgan is just - "

That's when it happened. A gunshot rang through from the phone and she fell silent. Morgan's foot lessened on the gas until they were ultimately almost still again, any fight having left him with the gunshot. 

She nervously wet her lips. "Hotch?"

When they got no answer, she glanced at Morgan, who spoke into the phone himself. "Hotch? What happened? Come on, you can't leave us out in the cold like this." Finally he heard what sounded like a door being busted down and he closed his eyes.

" _Hotch_."

"The gunshot came from inside the basement," Hotch breathed. "I'm sorry, Morgan."


	7. Lucy

Morgan felt nauseous. He stayed still for a long moment, too scared that if he did move he'd end up vomiting - and that's the last thing he needed right now. 

Eventually more sounds came from the phone, yelling and scurrying, but Morgan tuned them out, staring blankly through the windshield. 

"Morgan," Emily muttered after a second or two, her voice unsure and nervous, "I'm so sorry." Her eyes dropped to the steering wheel and she sucked in her bottom lip, chewing on the chapped skin. "Do you want me to - "

That's when she saw it; the dampness on Morgan's cheeks. Her mouth slammed shut.

He cried, sure - who didn't -, but she didn't see it enough for it to be a regular occurrence. Morgan always held strong. Not only for himself but for the others. She glanced back at the phone where the sounds were picking up, becoming louder as Hotch got closer to the source of them.

"I really thought - " Morgan started, and she quickly lifted her head, staring at him.

He closed his eyes, running his hand down his face. "He told me he wanted to join the FBI one day."

Emily couldn't help but smile sadly at his words. She fidgeted with the phone in her lap. She, too, was now blocking out the noise. "He would've been good at it."

His breathing was uneven, tired huffs of air. "I told him we could be a team someday," he continued, voice quiet. "I know he didn't respond but..." Morgan wrung his hands, rubbing his knuckles with his thumb. The skin was slowly becoming raw he was pressing down so hard but Emily kept silent. "I know he liked the idea."

"Derek," she said tentatively, reaching over and squeezing his shoulder, "he knows you did all you could and wherever he is there's no way he's blaming you for this."

Before he could reply, the phone made a horrible crackling noise and it startled both agents. Emily peered down at the device with a curious look. It almost sounded like the phone had been dropped. She picked it up, putting it close to her lips. "Hotch, what's going on? Are you okay?"

It took a couple minutes - though it felt like an eternity - before finally Hotch responded, his voice surprised. "He's alive."

Morgan blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"It goes completely against the profile," Hotch continued, almost mumbling to himself, "but Joey killed himself - not Reid."

Morgan gripped at the steering wheel excitedly. "Fuck the profile," he said, "I'm just glad the bastard is dead."

"Me too," Hotch replied before continuing with a lowered voice. "An ambulance is on the way now," they heard what sounded like clothes rustling - maybe from Hotch crouching down. "He might be alive, Morgan, but... he's not in good shape."

Morgan blatantly ignored him - he didn't need those kind of thoughts. "Where will they take him - which hospital?"

"The closest one most likely," Emily said before Hotch had a chance. "I saw it on the map earlier. Let's go."

\---

"There you go," Hotch mumbled. He was sat on the floor beside Reid's limp body, pressing his FBI vest, the only fabric he could find, against the wound in his chest. "You'll be able to see Morgan soon, okay?" he continued as he stared down into the glossy eyes looking up at him. "So stay strong."

He was surprised by the feeling of a hand grazing his leg; gentle and light but undeniably there.

Hotch glanced at Reid's hand, twitching and weak, before grasping it with his free hand. "You'll be okay."

Reid tried nodding, he could tell, but he flinched at the pain and decided against it. Judging by deep wound and copious amounts of blood puddled around him, Hotch honestly didn't know if he'd would make it but he had to keep up hope. For both his sake and Morgan's.

Knocked out of his thoughts by the EMTs bursting into the room, Hotch quickly did as told and stepped back, giving them the space they needed to do their job. As Hotch stood there watching the paramedics try and stabilize the man, he noticed the young boy was mouthing something.

It didn't take long for him to realize what he was trying to say.

'Thank you.'

\---

Morgan rushed into the hospital, his body visibly dampened with sweat from running. Emily firmly patted his back before approaching a nurse. He was much too flustered to do the talking. She forced a smile despite the fear crawling under her skin. "Excuse me, has a Spencer Reid been brought in within the past hour?"

The nurse hummed. "One second." She circled the desk, flipping through some paperwork. "Yes, about ten minutes ago - "

Before she could finish, Hotch approached the group. Morgan immediately turned his attention on him. "Hotch..."

Emily thanked the nurse before doing the same. "Is he - "

"Let's stay positive," Hotch mumbled, gesturing for them to follow as he walked back to the waiting area. "It's only been about ten minutes, they haven't told us much."

The minute JJ spotted Morgan, she jumped him with a hug. He forced back a sob - crying really wasn't his thing - and returned it. She rubbed her hand up and down his back comfortingly. 

Rossi nodded in his direction with an encouraging smile. "He'll be fine, kiddo."

As much as he wanted to believe that Morgan could feel the distant nagging in the back of his mind. The nagging that told him Reid wouldn't make it - that he'd been too late and this was all his fault - that he would forever have only the memory of those hazel eyes looking at him excitedly etched into his brain.

"Come on," Emily muttered, leading him over to sit down. "You need to relax. Stressing won't help anyone."

Once he was sitting, he buried his face in his hands. Everyone heard the soft sobbing but nobody said a word.

\---

A couple hours later, a nurse approached the group, trying to hide the blood staining her apron. She cleared her throat and her eyes immediately ended up on Hotch as if she could tell he was the leader. "You're all here for Spencer Reid?" she asked, lifting a curious eyebrow.

Hotch nodded. "Yes," he pulled out his badge, showing it.

That was all the nurse needed, it seemed. She wet her lips. "Well, I was instructed to inform you of his condition."

Morgan - for the first time in two hours - looked up, his eyes red and puffy. JJ reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing. "Is he..." Morgan searched her face, hoping he'd see the answer in her features but she was like a rock. "Is he okay?"

"Well," she dropped her hands, revealing the blood covering her torso and also her name tag; Lucy. "He's -- "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I did cut it off there on purpose. Sorry guys, I know I'm horrible but the next chapter will be the last so I had to keep it interesting enough that you'll come back and read it, right? Let me know how you're expecting it will end!


	8. Give Me Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is officially the last chapter of Louder Than Words. I hope you guys have enjoyed the ride! I will be starting a new multi-chapter fic after this and also possibly a sequel to Louder Than Words. Let me know if you'd like to see that!

Morgan sucked in a large puff of air, cooling his lungs.

Everything was fuzzy. He couldn't think of anything or anyone but the boy possibly dead somewhere in the hospital.

"He's alive."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Morgan felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. Reid was okay, he was alive. 

Emily sighed with relief, setting a steady hand on the agent's shoulder. Morgan glanced up at her with a small smile.

Lucy cleared her throat, gaining his attention once more. "But he's still in very bad condition," she continued as she idly wiped her hands on her apron. "The injury itself just barely missed his heart, but did result in two broken ribs on his left side, and the stress of the injury almost made him go into shock - "

"But he didn't, right?" JJ asked, feeling Morgan go tense next to her.

The nurse glanced at her. "No, he's a tough one." She reached up, brushing some loose strands of hair out of her face. "The surgery went well but he'll need to stay for a few days. He's still in a lot of pain and is having a hard time doing basic functions by himself or staying awake." Nobody needed to be trained in profiling to know who was the most worried out of the group. Lucy looked back at the dark-skinned agent. "Sadly I don't think he can't accept visitors tonight because he need his rest."

Morgan knew those words had been coming. It was inevitable. It was routine that a patient (who had been in such bad condition) get some rest before any visitors were allowed into his or her room. The smallest bit of stress could be bad on Reid's body right now.

"But if you want to stay for the night," she gestured specifically at Morgan, a knowing smile pulling at her delicate features, "we can wake you up as soon as his tests are normal again and you can see him right away."

He immediately turned, settling his gaze upon Hotch with wide hopeful eyes. Hotch realized he was asking for permission and gave a nod. Morgan turned his head back around and he looked up at Lucy with an almost blinding smile. "I'd like that."

"Good," Lucy said, "because honestly I think him seeing you will help his recovery."

Once he had been given a blanket, Morgan settled down in one of the chairs for the night. It wasn't comfortable - the material was scratchy and the cushion wasn't very soft - but he knew it'd be worth it the minute he woke up and saw Reid. All he wanted was to see him, touch him, let him know everything would be okay.

"Are you sure you don't want anybody staying with you for the night?" Emily asked, nervously wringing her hands. Something seemed wrong about leaving him alone after all that had happened today. 

Morgan gave a tired smile and, without warning, pulled her down into a hug. "Thank you for everything."

She stifled a smile of her own. "Yeah, yeah, I just didn't like seeing big old strong Derek Morgan crying."

"I'll call you guys in the morning," Morgan waved goodbye as his team left the hospital before slowly falling asleep.

\---

He woke up the following morning and immediately checked his phone. It was seven. 

Morgan sat up and looked around, hoping he'd see Lucy somewhere but sadly she wasn't in sight. With a defeated grumble, he stood up and approached one of the maps of the hospital. Since it'd probably be a bit longer now, he thought he could go for a cup of coffee from the cafeteria.

Anyway, he knew if he sat there with nothing to do he'd just get more and more impatient.

"Mr. Morgan?"

His head whipped around just in time to see Lucy walking towards him. She looked worn out from last night but still managed a smile. "I hope you haven't been up for too long?"

"Nope," Morgan stuffed his hands in his pocket, nervously messing with his phone, "just woke up actually."

Just a few minutes and he'd be reunited with Reid. He wondered how he was feeling, though he had a good clue - he was probably frightened, terrified, pained, confused. Morgan shook away the thoughts and focused his gaze back on the nurse.

"I'm assuming you're good to go?" Lucy asked, tilting her head a bit.

Morgan nodded, and with a final smile Lucy gestured for him to follow as she turned around and began down the hallway.

\---

It didn't take long before Lucy stopped in front of a closed door. Morgan barely avoided bumping into her, his shoes squeaking on the marble. He glanced through the small window of the door, his stomach fluttering at the sight of an exhausted Reid asleep in his hospital bed. 

"He was last tested about twenty minutes ago," Lucy explained, "and everything was stable so the doctor said he could go back to sleep and he obviously - " she waved at the door - "took her up on that offer." She reached out, grasping the doorknob. "But I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

She opened the door and Morgan gave a thankful nod before walking in. She closed it seconds later, leaving the two alone.

Morgan's tongue flickered out, going over his chapped lips. He felt nervous and he didn't really know why. His hands tightened into fists. Maybe because this was partly his fault. He should've protected him from this. Slowly he walked over to the bed. "Reid, kid, it's me."

At first nothing. Morgan grabbed a chair and sat down, reaching out for the boy's hand.

As soon as he touched it, Reid jumped up with wide eyes. Morgan quickly placed a hand against his chest, pushing him back down into the bed. "It's just me," he assured him as Reid turned his head tiredly, glancing at the agent. "You're okay now, nobody can hurt you."

Reid opened his mouth for a few seconds before closing it. Morgan had almost forgotten. 

"Wait one minute," Morgan mumbled, rummaging through his pocket for his phone. Once he found it, he pulled it out and handed it over. "There you go."

A couple seconds later and Reid had the notepad app opened. He couldn't write as quickly as usual, taking a bit more time as he slowly typed out his reply. Morgan didn't mind. When he was finished, he turned the phone around. Morgan narrowed his eyes as he read the short message.

'Joey - is he dead?'

Morgan's lips made a tight line. He nodded. "He killed himself."

'They say I'm going to be okay. Do you believe them?'

Morgan was surprised by the message. He gazed at Reid with a worried frown. "Of course. It'll take some time before you can move like yourself again but you're definitely going to be okay." No matter how special he thought Reid was, he was ultimately just a scared young man right now like anyone would be after going through what he had. "Just give yourself some time."

He pulled the phone back, staring blankly at the screen for a long moment. Finally he began typing again. 

'You solved the case.'

Morgan lifted an eyebrow. "I guess." He didn't get why he was pointing out the obvious.

'You're going to leave me.'

Now it made sense. Morgan knew he wasn't wrong as much as he wanted him to be. He had a job and he belonged back in Quantico. He couldn't just stay here and leave everything behind - even if a part of him liked the idea. He reached out, grasping Reid's hand tightly. "Do you remember what I told you?"

Reid blinked. 

"Keep dreaming big and don't ever stop," he released Reid's hand and gently traced a trail from his hand up to his head, tapping his temple. Reid leaned into his touch. "You have a lot going for you, Spencer, and I think you can get into the FBI with no hassle at all. With time, of course."

Morgan was startled when his phone began vibrating. He snatched the device up. It was a new message from Hotch.

'The jet leaves in twenty minutes. How is he?'

He breathed out, tossing the phone back on the bed. Reid scrambled for it. 

"I have to go soon," Morgan muttered quietly, staring down at his hands. He really didn't want to go, and that scared him. He'd gotten close with victims before, sure, but never anything like this. The feelings he felt for Reid were almost - the words caught in his throat. 

He stood up, glancing down at Reid, surprised when he saw he was holding his phone out for him with a message.

Morgan couldn't help cracking a smile.

'Just give me time, Derek, I'll join the FBI and we will meet again.'


End file.
